Forever
by Existence's Bane
Summary: Some things last for a long time. Some last for even longer. Hephaestus/Apollo, mentions of Hephaestus/Aphrodite and Apollo/Hyacinthus.


_Disclaimer: Just try and sue me for something mythological._

_Challenge: 1sentence challenge table Alpha_

_Warnings: Homosexuality, bisexuality, sex, some angst_

_**Forever**_

_**By Cory**_

1) Comfort

Mayhap not all things were meant to be endured alone, for when Apollo dragged himself back up to Mount Olympus, Hephaestus stepped out of the forge and gently helped him to some fortifying wine.

2) Kiss

The first kiss was nice: not quite what Hephaestus had had in mind when visiting the fair sun god, but not unwelcome.

3) Soft

Hephaestus had never shared experiences in matters of the flesh with another man, and couldn't stifle the gasp of his work-hardened chest brushing against that of another solid male, not the pliable flesh of a woman.

4) Pain

Apollo nearly wished to die of the humiliation and fury of watching _his_ Hephaestus striding hand-in-hand with Aphrodite.

5) Potatoes

Hephaestus always went to great lengths to keep Apollo by his side (even though Apollo assured the blacksmith he was not leaving anytime soon, and would _only_ leave when he thought it right, and even Hephaestus couldn't keep him if he wished to go)—seeing the fire god struggle with baking a potato-centered roll for his breakfast was heartwarming enough.

6) Rain

_Apollo…if I could make one wish, it would be to kiss you in the middle of the street on the rainiest day of the year._

7) Chocolate

"It's like chocolate," Apollo teased as he reached up to run a hand through Hephaestus' sweat-streaked brown hair.

8) Happiness

Hephaestus was not certain how long this could possibly last—both of them so passionate in every spectrum of feeling with no buffer, and what with himself never having been in a real, reciprocated relationship before—but for now, he was more than happy.

9) Telephone

"Silly humans," Apollo sniped to his lover as they watched the humans spill about below in their twenty-first century world, "always making such ridiculous devices and not wanting to really _talk_ to each other anymore."

10) Ears

"I should have known a music god would have such perfect ears…"

11) Name

It could get so annoying, when the Romans came about, for Apollo to tease him and start parading about him and hail him as "Vulcan".

12) Sensual

Hephaestus wished deep in his soul that he could be sensual enough for his lover, and that apparently unfulfilled desire affected him deeply; when Apollo forced what was bothering him out of him, Apollo had seemed shocked for a moment before saying quietly, "You've clearly never seen yourself in the forge."

13) Death

Apollo could, occasionally, be overprotective; Hephaestus allowed it, knowing it would put his lover's mind at peace after what had happened to Hyacinthus.

14) Sex

Hephaestus, grinding inside his lover as Apollo moaned deep in the back of his throat beneath him, wondered if even a god could die of something as seemingly harmless as oversexing oneself.

15) Touch

It took several months for great, hulking Hephaestus to brave touching his lover without prompting.

16) Weakness

It was no wonder Apollo was god of the sun; for a blacksmith, used to dark heat, Apollo coursed through his veins in a great white inferno of scorching light.

17) Tears

As Apollo whimpered brokenly over the cooling, bloodstained body of Hyacinthus, Hephaestus from above silently promised that the other would never have any reason to shed tears again.

18) Speed

Both men panted from the race until Hephaestus dashed forward and caught Apollo, trapping him between a boulder and himself, murmuring, "And to the victor goes the spoils."

19) Wind

Apollo despised Zephyrus with a loathing to singe empires, but Hephaestus gently batted the flames away with fire-melting kisses.

20) Freedom

There was no freedom now—only Hephaestus.

21) Life

"Silly, I can't die if I'm not alive…now let me have my chariot."

22) Jealousy

Hephaestus couldn't ignore blistering-hot stares gouging into the back of his skull as he pressed a kiss to Aphrodite's brow.

23) Hands

Hephaestus' leathered palms worshipped the long-fingered, square hands of the sun god, leaving Apollo to smile lazily at his wonder.

24) Taste

Apollo did not taste of sweet, fragile things like the very few women Hephaestus had kissed; rather, he tasted of coarse bread, thick honey, dried fruits, sweat, and fire.

25) Devotion

Both men demanded undying devotion when they agreed to see each other, and only each other, which both were all too ready to give.

26) Forever

Forever was something Apollo did not take lightly, but he accepted the proposal with no less happiness.

27) Blood

Hephaestus could not force himself to fear loving his sun god, even though he knew full well that more blood was on Apollo's hands because of his previous loves than his enemies.

28) Sickness

When Apollo complained, "Phae, if I don't get out of bed, the sun won't rise", Hephaestus simply grinned and pulled the other god back to his chest and crooned teasingly (and maybe a little hopefully) into his hair, "Call in sick."

29) Melody

Apollo lightly curled his fingers over the back of Hephaestus' hands and guided the scarred blacksmith's hands over the silvery strings of the harp.

30) Star

Despite the sun god Apollo was, Hephaestus always privately thought Apollo as something more akin to a steady night star.

31) Home

Cold nights were spent before the marble hearth, Apollo resting the back of his head against the rippled chest of the fire god and said fire god's arms wrapped over his own.

32) Confusion

While Apollo was perfectly content and secure in their relationship, _Why me?_ was a constant wonderment to Hephaestus.

33) Fear

Ever since Phaeton had fallen to his death from the open chariot, Hephaestus had always come to dread sunrise.

34) Lightning/Thunder

Apollo in the storm took Hephaestus' breath away: the deep green of his eyes made into lime in the reflective light of the lightning and every muscle taut with the roiling thunder.

35) Bonds

Had he even tried, Apollo knew escape was futile from the surprisingly gentle giant of a blacksmith.

36) Market

Apollo was dazzled in the bustling market on Earth, eyes bewitched by gold glinting from carts; Hephaestus was busy growling at the many youths who near drooled at Apollo's human guise.

37) Technology

The slim laptop left on an outcropping by an American tourist was amusing for all the gods—however, it was Apollo who found the most entertainment when he curiously clicked an icon in the "video" tab that said "xxx guy/guy".

38) Gift

_Is it love?_ Apollo wondered when he opened the box to reveal a eternally crackling strip of lightning formed into a thick band of gold.

39) Smile

Hephaestus covered the blissful, sleepy smile with peppering kisses.

40) Innocence

Neither Hephaestus nor Apollo had retained any innocence over their many years' existence, but somehow there was a comforting purity in the glow of both together.

41) Completion

Apollo knew such a sense of wholeness was a rare and priceless find, and made an internal promise to cherish every moment of it.

42) Clouds

Apollo bellowed a laugh as Hephaestus howled in terror behind him, his arms clenched about Apollo's waist, as they careened through the sky on Apollo's chariot.

43) Sky

Had he but asked, Apollo would have fetched down the heavens for his love.

44) Heaven

"Honestly, what fools these mortals be to think they can join us here."

45) Hell

Hephaestus swiped his lips slowly over Apollo's face, soothing away hellish memories.

46) Sun

The sun seemed always a bit brighter when Apollo dragged it across the sky in tumultuous red.

47) Moon

Apollo found a new appreciation for the moon when Hephaestus fashioned a necklace—that caught and retained each silver ray reflected of it—for him.

48) Waves

Apollo could only point and laugh at Hephaestus, knee-deep in water, bewildered that steam was rising from the fire god's skin for no apparent reason.

49) Hair

Their locks clashed over the pillow sharply as they slept: glossy golden-red that seemed to catch every ray from the sun, and rough hair of coarse brown that seemed no less noble.

50) Supernova

The Olympians watched the fire burn between the two lovers: stormy electric fire from black clouds and sky-ridden sunlight that stroked the Earth.


End file.
